There was a lot to look at and admire at this year's TwitchCon live event, including Megan Thee Stallion twerking alongside a towering supersoldier from Halo Infinite, better known as Master Chief. The reactions to this dance that will surely go down in TwitchCon history were mixed. While the crowds present were more than enthusiastic and cheering, many of us who were watching it live commented that seeing the fan-beloved Spartan making those funky moves felt surreal. Nevertheless, this was not the first time we had watched a Master Chief cosplayer dance, and it definitely will not be the last, so we might as well try to get used to it.

While even the most disgruntled fans were quick to forgive Master Chief for being involved in a rather frivolous show, they weren’t so generous with how they commented on Chris Pratt's performance in the first Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer. Although the trailer only featured two short lines by Pratt-voiced Mario, it appeared to be enough to receive a crazy response from the media and video game community. The majority of commenters said the voice of the darling Italian carpenter sounded very much like Pratt’s own articulation, and his attempt at a Brooklyn accent was also received coolly.

While there are still very few of us who can stay impartial or be supportive when we see our favorite video game characters being ripped out of their traditional, mainstream mold and put in a pop culture-dictated situation, it is something that is happening more frequently these days. No matter how jarring that feels, the world is ever-evolving, and we need to keep pace with it. Recontextualizing a few game characters might be a good place to start.

Did you watch the TwitchCon 2022? What were your impressions of Mario’s voiceover by Chris Pratt? Share your thoughts in the comments below this post!